How to crush coriander seed?

I plan on making a Belgian Wit next week that calls for crushed coriander seed. In my last order I bought some coriander seed from the HBS, however it does not appear to be crushed. How can I crush it to use in the boil? Or can I just adjust the amount and/or boil time and use uncrushed seed?

Thanks
Craig

I squish it with a glass until the seeds are all broken.

Morter and Pestle

I have used a pepper grinder set to coarse with success. Just make sure you get all of the pepper out first.

:fro:

I've done it with a muddler in a glass, and I've also been told that using a wine bottle with a flatter bottom and a sauce pan will work pretty well.

Pabst Blue Robot said:

I have used a pepper grinder set to coarse with success. Just make sure you get all of the pepper out first.

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I did the same. It works REALLY well if you hook a cordless drill up to the pepper grinder. Just don't let SWMBO catch you doing that...

electric coffee grinder works wonders. I used to keep one around just for spices. It died though, so now I have to clean out the one I use coffee for which is a PITA. Think I'll add one to my shopping list next time I go to Costco. You can also use a food processor and just pulse it.

In a pinch, spoonin'. Just one spoon over another. Use it for grains of paradise and cardamom seeds as well.

Wild

I used a rolling pin the other day.

I put the coriander in a zipbag and smashed them with flat side of a meat tenderizer :rockin:

jdoiv said:

electric coffee grinder works wonders.

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I have found that this works best for me.

I don't think it's even necessary to crush them. I don't have Papazian to reference for a while, but I'm pretty sure the flavor/aroma will work without crushing them.
Anyone else who can look that up real quick?

desiderata said:

I don't think it's even necessary to crush them. I don't have Papazian to reference for a while, but I'm pretty sure the flavor/aroma will work without crushing them.
Anyone else who can look that up real quick?

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I'm curious, too.

desiderata said:

I don't think it's even necessary to crush them. I don't have Papazian to reference for a while, but I'm pretty sure the flavor/aroma will work without crushing them.
Anyone else who can look that up real quick?

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But remember the boil aspect of brewing is really no different than cooking. And the best practice with adding spices (or even herbs) is to crush them, and with herbs you bruise them. That way you get the best extraction of those flavor components.

The easier way to tell why? Smell a couple of those coriander seeds whole...then smell them crushed....They "come alive," smelling and tasting fresher when crushed. Especially the "god knows how long they have been sitting at the lhbs in those brewer's garden packets." We don't even know what kinda quality they are to begin with, they, for all we know could be the cheapest grade gotten on the wholesale market.

So if you want to get the best use out of them...then do that extra step, whether it's dry roasting them first, but especially crush them.

I like to use a mortar and pestle, it doesn't need to be a fine crush, just even a beer bottle and a baggy would do the trick.

JimC said:

Morter and Pestle

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When i did my Wit beer 3 weeks ago I search all over the kitchen for mine... Ask SWMBO where it went "Oh I sold that at the last garage sale"


So it was a couple of zip locks and my framing hammer

coffee grinder

just make sure to get all of the coffee out first

springer said:

When i did my Wit beer 3 weeks ago I search all over the kitchen for mine... Ask SWMBO where it went "Oh I sold that at the last garage sale"

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What did five fingers say to the face?

OK here's a related question, how much different would ground coriander be from fresh cracked? Assuming equal weight of each.

Just for reference I used a corona mill once and won't do it again - little seeds were hell to get back out...

+1 to coffee grinder...just another one of the many wonderous things I've learned at this forum.

VitaMix. I like it a nice fine dust. I used 1 oz of Penzey's Coriander for a Gose and it turned out really well. Added it during the "sanitizing" point of heating it to a boil since I did a no boil on it.